


A Glass Of Wine

by Suna_Utsu



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Darkness, Falling In Love, Illusions, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Memories, Office, Shapeshifting, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 18:18:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13664607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suna_Utsu/pseuds/Suna_Utsu
Summary: Jumin takes a sip of his wine. A strange taste... was my drink spiked? Join the night that ventures through Jumin's memories and illusions, as he tries to find the light in the darkness and subconsciously seeks the help of Zen. Wait... in the form of a cat!?





	A Glass Of Wine

**Author's Note:**

> All comments of improvement and criticism are welcomed... enjoy!

A GLASS OF WINE

 

Looking out from the window on the top floor, Jumin realised how beautiful the busy city below was illuminated in the darkness of the night. All of his features, including his perfectly ironed suit, neat black hair and shiny dark eyes, were lit up by a glimmering beam of moonlight. He continued to dreamily stare out of the window whilst taking a sip of wine, the scene looking more like a beautifully painted work of art than that of a man who was just working alone, late at night in his office.

A slightly bitter edge to the wine’s flavour shook him out of his trance. Noticing a clock subtly growing louder as it ticked somewhere in the shadows made Jumin avert his attention to the office around him. An eternity away from where he sat, a door remotely visible to his eyes stood next to a pile of forgotten files. It was the grey of unburnished silver, dull from over the years. Where there should have been a fancy handle was now only a square shaft of dark, cold metal dotted with greasy fingerprints from the use of countless employees he never bothered to learn the names of. Beyond the door came the last sounds of the keyboards clicking and telephones ringing as people were finishing off their work. The void between Jumin’s door and his desk stretched out exceptionally far, filled with an abyss of deep, immeasurable space. Complete emptiness.

This was the melody of Jumin’s soul. A melody that he was forced to listen to every day, wailing to the keys in the minor. Outside, puffs of grey cloud had surrounded the moon like crows around a wounded, leaving it no choice but to wait for itself to be completely engulfed by its attackers. All became dark. A sudden feeling of escape pierced Jumin’s mind, except some non-existent force rooted his feet to the cold-stone floor. A sea of chills ran through his body and his heartbeat was now fighting for dominance over the sound of the clock. As if on a carousel, his head was sent into a dizzying spiral, vision spinning into an uncontrollable blur. The glass he held shattered on the floor and the scarlet liquid within seeped out. _Was my drink… spiked?_

Not long after, he followed. Collapsing onto the icy floor with much more pain than expected. Although his body had not touched the broken glass, it felt as though it was shredded through and through. The last thing Jumin could remember was the crisp aroma of the wine.

_Click!_ Jumin jolted up from his position on the floor and immediately regretted the decision as the pressure of a thousand tonnes crashed down upon his body, making his head and muscles ache. He felt like he had been unconscious for merely ten seconds, yet another feeling hinted far longer. He squinted his eyes to try to define the dark features of the room. Time went on a little longer before his blurry vision cleared and adjusted to the dim lighting of the rest of his office. The ceiling above soared so high into the darkness he could not see its corners. _Click!_ The unexpected sound made Jumin jolt as it pierced the menacing silence. That’s when he felt it.

A simple swish from his behind caused an overwhelming surprise to turn him to stone. Slowly, Jumin turned his head and saw something move under his shirt- his shirt? _Why was his shirt on the floor?_ Hesitating, he forced his resisting muscles to reach out to his shirt and lift it. His eyes widened and somewhere far away, the sound of his clock and even the hectic city down below had come to a stop. It was merely a second, but it felt like an eternity. _I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I can’t scream!_

Jumin somehow manages to stumble onto his back and look at the sight before him. All of his clothes laid in the same position as he had fallen, stained with smears of red wine and covered in glistening shards of glass. Panic clouded his eyes as he dragged himself to face the window. In the reflection he saw a disgusting little, black cat. _He_ was that black cat. Jumin could feel the pounding of his pulse in the sides of his head as he tried to process what had just happened to him. _Is this my real, inner self?_

The thought had no time to grow as footsteps were heard in the hallway, constantly growing in sound. _Click!_ Blinding, white light glistened through as the door creaked open. “Jumin… what?” Whipping around, Jumin felt time revert back to its original speed, yet the impact it carried was that of a punch to the face. Jumin could not see who the silhouette belonged to, yet he recognised the voice almost immediately. The figure flicked a switch that immediately obliterated the shadows of the room. By the door’s entrance stood a man with a beautiful complexion, dark-amber eyes and long, silver hair tied in a loose ponytail. _Zen Ryu. What great timing._ Jumin’s sarcastic yet horrified thoughts raced faster than the rushing crowds on the streets below.

Centuries passed before Zen made an effort to approach him. Jumin’s breath caught in his throat, making him unable to bear the atmosphere. The unknown of what was about to happen next made him swiftly shut his eyes. Once again in the dark, all he could do was feel the approaching footsteps and hear his heart beating out of control. A memory swiftly flashed through his head as he remembered the day he first hired Zen to work for him. The way the other’s eyes looked different not only in their unique colour but also in the feelings they carried within had sparked an interest in Jumin; it had made him spend just a little longer than usual to look him over. He didn’t question what he had felt in those few moments and something deep within his heart made him decide that it was better to keep it that way.

“Is that really you- Mr. Jumin?” His eyes flew open to the sight of Zen’s face, merely inches away. He had a look of pure astonishment, but there was no fear. Not only was Jumin surprised that Zen could recognise him, but he felt like this was the first time anyone had ever looked at his vulnerable state like this. “I can see your… human self in the reflection behind the cat.” A flash of sadness glinted in Zen’s eyes. Gazing up at the silver-haired male made Jumin’s heart skip a beat and sparks of lightning rushed through his body. They stared at each other for a while more, both seemingly trying to find words to describe their indescribable feelings. “Why do your eyes look so empty when it seems as though you have everything?”

Speechless, all Jumin could do was continue to hold his gaze. The man looked away but let out a tiny smile. “Don’t misunderstand, it’s just,” he paused and averted his eyes towards the reflection in the window, “right now, Jumin, I see your human reflection as only your outer shell. You were always someone I had looked up to ever since I started working for your company. Rich, handsome and always surrounded by a crowd. However, there was always this sad look in your eyes. Honestly, I get a feeling of familiarity when I look into them.” A sigh escaped his lips, “still the thing that captivates me the most about you is the strength you possess when it comes to acting normally around others… never letting that sadness overwhelm you.” Zen looked directly at Jumin and stretched out his hand to gently stroke the top of his head.

The simple gesture felt like two liquids had mixed and created a chain reaction within Jumin’s mind, making all his senses explode out of control. Finally, the weight of the situation caught up to his mind, making Jumin unable to tell reality from illusion. In his head, he imagined the image of the windows shattering behind him, their fragments spraying wildly over the two. Monstrous wind would howl and rush into the office, whipping up the files on his desk and by the door up into the room and letting them fly around with no control. The truth was: he was absolutely terrified of the darkness he had fallen into. Poison filled his eyes and the control he had built up from his wounds smashed completely into a million tiny pieces. A sudden, inhumane presence possessed and empowered his body to violently push the other away. Bottled up emotions from over the years poured out freely now. “Are you mocking me?” He hissed under his breath.

“What?” replied a shocked voice.

“Don’t think this is the first time this has happened to me,” Jumin spat. “What do you want? Money? Fame? I just don’t care anym-” Before he finished his outburst, Jumin felt something warm wrap around him. With the venom instantly drained out from his soul, his face heated up and his eyes started to sting. This was so unlike him and he hated it, but this was the first time he felt so alive in such a long time.

“Why… why is it fine for everyone to walk all over me and shatter everything that I’ve built up? I never asked for the people around me to feel so close yet be so distant. I can never catch up to them. But... you reached out and broke the darkness within me just like that. How is that possible? Is this some form of new punishment? Will my life keep reminding me of how deep these scars are within my heart?” The demon that had possessed him from out of the darkness brought Jumin to break into a manic and distraught laugh. He was no longer willing to put up a fight against it. He let his vision turn black.

It was true, people had always surrounded him. Jumin was born an heir to a family who owned one of the largest companies in the country. He remembered the first time his father set him in charge of a very important deal: recalling the feeling of warmth he felt towards those around him and the anticipation of what everyone’s efforts would bring. However, as he grew older, more and more people would surround him and each one would expect more and more from him. Something important had been lost on the way as he naively continued to expect warmth to keep coming from the people around him, instead finding that the opposite was unfolding. Realizing this helplessness put him in a state of distress. Only once in his life did he let it get the better of him. He had broken down, had given up, but he had built up the courage to confide in someone he thought was close, refusing to let the darkness devour him. That person, however, had just taken advantage of his looks and his money, leaving him with a deep scar in his heart. The scar grew and eventually distanced him from the world around. He had decided that all that mattered was to be successful in the family business and to push all others away so that no one could ever hurt him again. He had been convinced that all of his darkest feelings and thoughts had been safely sealed away into the depths of his heart.  All was supposed to be under control. Everything was finally at balance. That is, until the gaze he feared most was now looking directly at him.

“But I am by your side right now.” Immediately, his mad laughter stopped at the same time as did his thoughts of the wildly scattered papers and the flying shards of glass. Was it his imagination, or did the room somehow look more appealing? Never before had it been so lively, so out of order. Glass added charm, papers added twist, and Zen completed it. Looking at the abstract masterpiece in a dream-like state made Jumin feel like the demon within had been mystically lifted. With the energy in his body gone, Jumin finally blacked out.

The lazy wind blew against his body, and he could feel something soft, possibly a blanket on the floor, beneath his touch: one-o’clock, two o’clock, three. He detected the vestiges of a dream, turning in nonsensical ways, grasping to remain. Jumin’s eyelids flickered open, blinking once or twice to the unlit room. No daylight. He closed them again, willing for his mind to tumble back into the abyss...  but it wouldn't. The moment he felt at ease barely even lasted as memories of the night poured their way back into his head. Jumping to his feet, eyes now wide, dreams not just forgotten but erased. Hastily searching himself, he saw that he was… normal. His human features were all of the usual, even his suit hung around him in its original place. He was drinking in the feedback of all his senses. Aside from his own heavy breath, he could see that the room had all its windows set slightly ajar, letting the breeze dance its way into the office. Nothing was broken, and the files were all in their places. The moonlight was the source of life to the lighting of the room and Jumin would have thought it were all a dream had it not been for the silvery outline of a man standing whimsically, looking out to the dreamland outside. Upon hearing him stir, the man quickly glances back. His voice flows through the room in a refreshing manner, carrying the same feel as that of cold water down a parched throat.

“I still don’t completely understand what you went through in the past, but I won’t push you to tell me. All I want to say is that I don’t care about your money or your looks… This is the first time I have met someone who is just as distant from everyone else as I am, despite our differences in class, and the first person that I think I can reach.” His deep voice, gentle as the breeze and carrying a new, hopeful tone, captivated Jumin. The man turns around to fully face Jumin at an angle that made his hair catch the breese’s current and flutter around. “Nevertheless, if after all this you still wish to push me away, then I will honour your decision and leave you be…” Zen’s voice trails off as Jumin shakes his head. It was like an ancient weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and Jumin felt as light as a feather. He knew that to feel this way from just listening to a few words from another person was rare… and he knew that in order to one day fully understand these feelings, he had to hold onto that person. Suddenly, without hesitation in his steps, Jumin runs up to the other and joins him in the moonlight.

Zen didn’t even have a second to realize what was happening. The next thing he knew, Jumin had crashed into his lips, knocking out all the wind from his lungs. There was hardly a moment to react before Jumin pressed his tongue to the seam of his lips and, at Zen’s grant of access, delved inside his mouth. Jumin’s passion and a strong scent of old wine had been exchanged in the intermingling of their billowing breaths. His arms reached up and tangled around Zen’s thick, strong neck. Zen could nearly feel the slight burn of the wine as it rolled off his tongue and seeped down his throat with every push of the other's tongue against his. Through acquiring some sort of rhythm, Zen lost himself and sank deeper into Jumin's firm hold. A thought flashed through both of their minds as they connected as one. _He was the half that made me whole._

The inevitable moment at which they both ran out of breath eventually came. Reluctantly they pull out, gasping for air but nevertheless fervently looking into each other’s eyes. Finally, Jumin lets out the first genuine smile he had let himself smile in a long time. With a new, gentle touch, Jumin let his hand travel lightly over Zen’s face as he spoke. “There are still so many questions, but I get the feeling that in time, they will all be answered. I wish for a new beginning and for the scars to disappear. So, it’s nice to meet you. I dream to one day experience a time when I can walk side by side, at the same pace as someone else, and something about you really makes me believe that that dream could actually come true. So, what do you say? Want to join me for a glass of wine?”

Eventually letting out a long-held breath, Zen closed his eyes and smiled warmly at the other. “If it leads to both of us healing the scars in our heart, then I would gladly accompany you. Now, seeing as you don’t have enough wine glasses here, why don’t we go out?”

The two leave the moonlit room behind. The final _click_ sounding from across the building as they shut the door behind them. Looking out from the window on the top floor, one could only realise how beautiful the busy city below was illuminated in the darkness of the night. At this hour, the only signs of life that could be seen down on the streets from the office window was a dog quietly letting its gaze follow two people emerging from the front doors of the office building. A clock subtly ticked away somewhere in the shadows. Opposite the desk in the moonlight, a door remotely visible stood by a pile of neatly stacked files. Beyond it all was still, and the night slowly progressed.

 

 


End file.
